Oxycontin Addiction

Oxycontin addiction arises as a result of prolonged exposure, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, to the synthesized painkiller oxycodone. By examining the way in which Oxycontin works, the effects it has upon the user and the factors which bring about addiction, we can learn to identify the symptoms of Oxycontin addiction and its impact on the user’s everyday life and social relationships.

Oxycontin: A Description of The Drug

Oxycontin, a brand name for the analgesic oxycodone produced by Purdue Pharmaceutical, first appeared on the market in the mid-1990s. This slow-release painkiller was intended as a safer and more easily-controlled alternative to the then widely used heroin and morphine.

Oxycontin is available by prescription around the world, usually as a tablet ranging in dose from 5 milligrams up to a possible 160 milligrams. In a controlled medical environment, Oxycontin is highly effective in the management of pain with a minimal risk of addiction. However, because the euphoric highs that can be obtained from the misuse of Oxycontin closely mimic those normally associated with heroin, recreational users have adopted Oxycontin as a cheaper and therefore preferable alternative narcotic.

A Profile of Oxycontin Addiction

Since Oxycontin is a medicinally prescribed drug as opposed to a ‘street’ drug, there may be a misconception that it is somehow safer to use recreationally, or that the side effects and risks of addiction are somehow lessened. Furthermore, the widespread use and availability of Oxycontin means that virtually anyone, regardless of their social background, may be susceptible to Oxycontin addiction.

Oxycontin is normally ingested orally, in a tablet designed to release the drug slowly into the body over a twelve-hour period. Oxycontin addicts can circumvent this slow-release mechanism by crushing the tablets and either swallowing or ‘snorting’ the resultant powder in order to obtain an immediate hit. Oxycontin is also soluble in water, giving an addict the option to inject the drug.

National research indicates that although a high proportion of Oxycontin addicts have associations or dependencies on other drugs or alcohol, there is a growing trend amongst teenagers for the recreational use of, and subsequent addiction to Oxycontin. Additionally, a number of ‘high-profile’ cases of Oxycontin addiction have been reported in the media.

The Effects of Oxycontin Addiction

When prescribed for the management of pain for sufferers of serious or terminal illnesses, Oxycontin behaves similarly to heroin or morphine, by inducing a mild euphoria and inhibiting pain ‘sensors’ in the patient’s brain and nervous system. In the ensuing state of relaxation the patient’s breathing becomes shallower and their heart-rate is reduced.

For an Oxycontin addict, whose intake of the drug may be unrestricted, the sudden intense euphoria and subsequent suppression of the body’s natural survival systems can prove extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. This danger is compounded by Oxycontin’s addictive qualities which dictate that as the addict becomes increasingly tolerant of the drug, greater quantities of Oxycontin need to be taken in order to satisfy psychological and physical cravings and to maintain the intensity of the ‘high’ obtained from it.

This increased dependence upon Oxycontin heightens the severity of the withdrawal symptoms experienced by the addict if a regular intake of Oxycontin is interrupted or stopped. Besides obvious physical symptoms such as muscle aches and spasms, sleeplessness and general fatigue, withdrawal from Oxycontin may elicit emotional and psychological issues; particularly depression in varying degrees. These mood-affecting symptoms of Oxycontin withdrawal are likely to have a negative impact not only upon the withdrawing Oxycontin addict but also upon their close friends and family.

Recognizable Symptoms of Oxycontin Addiction

Outwardly, the individual symptoms of potential Oxycontin addiction may be easily overlooked or attributed to a minor illness. When questioned, an Oxycontin addict may be secretive, defensive or in self-denial about their level of dependency upon the drug.

A change in the pattern of Oxycontin usage such as an attempt to reduce or stop intake of the drug may indicate an Oxycontin user’s attempts to overcome a growing addiction. Alternatively, an Oxycontin addict may attempt to request or obtain more Oxycontin than is necessary or has been prescribed to manage their medical condition. Alternative sources of Oxycontin may be sought to satisfy an addicts increasing needs, such as internet-based pharmacies.

Psychological indicators of Oxycontin addiction may include a loss of interest or apathy towards normal pursuits such as school, work or social life, and a tendency to be unusually irritable or anxious.

Physical symptoms of Oxycontin addiction are similar to those associated with other drug dependencies, and have been noted to include gastrointestinal problems such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting as well as muscular and joint pain, headaches, loss of appetite, disorientation, fatigue and ‘clamminess’ of the skin.

Assisting the Recovery of an Oxycontin Addict

Perhaps the hardest part of beating a drug addiction, both for the addict and for their friends and loved ones, is the admittance and acceptance that the addiction exists. For an Oxycontin addict to accept that they have a problem and to agree to face the immensely painful challenge of overcoming their addiction will require the utmost levels of support, love and commitment from their friends and family, irrespective of the pain and heartache that the addict may have caused them.

A program of detox followed by rehab in a place that understands the addiction and the problems of withdrawal is most likely the favorite, and statistically most successful, approach. Rehab centers have all the expertise and facilities an Oxycontin addict will need to break free of their habit.

Whichever course the difficult process of rehab from Oxycontin addiction may take, once the Oxycontin addict is on the road to recovery the knowledge that a stable, accepting and normal future life awaits them can only be beneficial to their success.